Knowing your limitations

[Rob Wick]

Please forgive me this, but I often find if I'm able to give voice to something which is bothering me, it helps me to work it out.

As most of you know, I'm working on my first book. When it comes to writing, especially mine, I'm my own worst critic. No surprise. Most creative people usually are. But right now I've hit a major stumbling block and it threatens to shut down the whole enterprise. I'm working on the sample chapter that I will send out to prospective publishers. While every chapter has to be the absolute best I can make it, there is an additional pressure on me to make this as sensational as possible. Given that I've only been sporadically published, this will literally determine if I have what it takes to do this.

The first part of the chapter, in which Tarbell meets Roland Diller and comes up with the Billy Brown stories, is generally good. It needs some work, but after finding a newspaper interview in which Tarbell gives some detail as to how she chanced upon Diller, it seems to be going smoothly. It's in the meat of the chapter which is giving me fits. From 1908 generally to 1911, Tarbell was in a fight with her former publisher, The McClure Company, over the copyright for her books. The situation has a great deal of drama, especially given Tarbell's desire to avoid having to file suit against S.S. McClure, who gave her a forum in which she was able to create the work which brought her international fame. The text is especially wooden. I realize that part of it has to do with the subject nature, after all I'm not sure even Stephen King could make a legalese-laden copyright battle read like a thriller (although I could be wrong ) As I read over what I've written, it just lies on the page. As I was reading it last night, I found myself thinking "this is just about the most boring writing I've read in a long time." As someone who reads a great deal, I think I am pretty good at judging good writing, average writing, or mediocre writing. This falls well below the mediocre level.

I also realize that, given my own insecurities, I may be overselling it. But if I can't take a situation which has the drama already built it, and keep it from sounding like a legal brief, what chance do I have of getting the thing accepted?

Anne Lamott has said that a writer has to give him or herself permission to write a really sucky first draft (although she uses a term far more intense than sucky), and I know I've been able to take things I really hate and bring them up to something not that bad. So far I'm drawing a huge blank with this. I'm not putting this out to get cheap flattery (although I never turn it down ) but like I said before, sometimes being able to give voice to what it bothering me seems to help.

Thanks for listening.

Best
Rob

[Gene C]

Who is your audience and what is your goal in writing this? If it is someone like me, focus on the drama, and put the legal mumbo jumbo and details in an appendix.

Does Benjamin Thomas discuss Tarbell in his "Portrait for Posterity?

[L Verge]

I agree with Gene. I am one of those people who goes into a panic-stricken coma when anything vaguely resembling legalese pops up on a page (sorry folks, that's why I'm a historian and not a lawyer!). My guess is that your book is going to appeal to history people and journalists. Play to your projected audience.

[Joe Di Cola]

Rob,

I, too, agree with Gene. I was told years ago that a writer, or a speaker for that matter, has to think of the audience for whom a work is intended. Since the audience for your book will be persons interested in biography, history, people who researched and wrote about Lincoln, or people interested in the muckraking era in journalism I would focus on the drama involved in the copyright issues instead of the fine points of legalese.

Look forward to seeing you,

Joe

[Rob Wick]

I truly appreciate everyone's comments, and of course, they're correct. My problem is that I have to work the boring but essential material into the chapter, but in such a way as to keep it interesting and maintain the pace I want to set with the narrative. So far my attempts to do so have fallen flat. I think I need to give it a few days and then come back to it.

Gene, Tarbell was in Thomas's book.

Best
Rob

Joe, hopefully we can pay a side trip when we go to Oak Ridge to the graves of Thomas, Harry Pratt, Oliver Barrett and Herndon. The first three are buried near each other and Herndon is down the hill opposite of the receiving vault.

[Joe Di Cola]

(10-05-2013 01:20 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  I truly appreciate everyone's comments, and of course, they're correct. My problem is that I have to work the boring but essential material into the chapter, but in such a way as to keep it interesting and maintain the pace I want to set with the narrative. So far my attempts to do so have fallen flat. I think I need to give it a few days and then come back to it.

Gene, Tarbell was in Thomas's book.

Best
Rob

I will get the exact locations to make it easier since that cemetery is a virtual labyrinth, thankfully NOT inhabited by any minotaurs!

Joe, hopefully we can pay a side trip when we go to Oak Ridge to the graves of Thomas, Harry Pratt, Oliver Barrett and Herndon. The first three are buried near each other and Herndon is down the hill opposite of the receiving vault.

[Liz Rosenthal]

Rob: It's hard to give advice on something like this without seeing what it is you're talking about. However, I agree with the other commenters who said that you need to consider your audience. If you were writing a book for copyright litigators, then it would make sense to go into detail about fine legal points and litigation strategies. Here, what you should probably try to do is think like Lincoln. Take the technical jargon and break it down into simple concepts that the average person will understand, and use those simple concepts in telling your story. It's probably easier said than done, but it would be worth the effort.

[BettyO]

Rob -

I also agree with Gene and Laurie. Put the legalese into an appendix (as I did with Doster's argument) - who wants to read that in it's entirety unless it's a law student or such..... put as much interest and drama into the actual legal battle as you can -

[Rob Wick]

Liz,

Thanks for the supportive words. As soon as I feel comfortable with what I've got, I'll e-mail you a copy and let you take a look at the trouble.

Thanks also, Betty.

Joe, here's the map from Oak Ridge. I tried to post the image but for some reason ImageShack wouldn't upload it. Thomas, Pratt and Barrett are somewhere in Block 32 while Herndon is in Block 14. There is a sign which points the way to Herndon's grave, but Thomas has only a small stone while Pratt is nearby. Barrett has an upright stone. I have the lot numbers for Barrett and Thomas, but as I'm not sure how they are laid out, how much that will help I don't know.

In John Hoffman's article on Thomas, he writes "Thomas is buried on a knoll in Oak Ridge Cemtery, close to the graves of Oliver Barrett, the Lincoln Collector, and Harry Pratt, the Lincoln scholar. Down the hill from their monuments runs a road, and beyond, on an open, high plateau, stands the Lincoln Tomb." Surely between us all, someone will find one of them.

Best
Rob

http://www.oakridgecemetery.org/images/Map.JPG

[Rob Wick]

Well, after a long night of editing, and a fresh look at the manuscript as a whole, things are looking up somewhat. The entire legal brouhaha flows much better in my revision, although it needs some more surgery. The drama of the entire affair is more apparent, but I need other eyes looking at it, and that will happen soon.

Thanks everyone for your words and help.

Best
Rob